Waste Gas Treatment from

Petrochemicals Units
Prepare by: KALAICHELVI M.SUPPAYA
1000328

Definition:
Petrochemicals ..also called petroleum distillates
::: are chemical products derived from petroleum.

Type of treatment

1.

WSA process

2.

SNOX process

3.

SOP

4.

Scrubbing

5.

Flare gas

List of waste gas..

Sulphur dioxide
HYDROGEN SULPHIDE
Carbon sulphide
Sulphuric acid
Nitrogen dioxide
particulates

Waste gas treatment

Wet Gas Sulphuric Acid

Wet Sulphuric Acid Process

1.

The WSA process is

a wet catalytic
process.

2. Treat process gas

with all of its water
content
3. No cooling
/condensation---prior
to SO2 conversion
stage is required
4. No loss of acid
5. No use of cooling
water///no loss of
heat.

Process principle
Exampl::treating hydrogen
sulfide( acid gas from HDS
amine generator)

Incinerator & boiler

1. Gas is incinerated to SO2 in a burner followed by a waste heat boiler.
2. If the feed gas does not contain combustibles. Support fuel will be necessary if
it contains less than approx.- 25% H2S.
3. The incinerated gas will typically contain 5-6% SO2 & all the water from the
combustion of H2S & other combustibles.
4. The gas leaving the waste heat boiler will have a temperature of approx. 400C

SO2 REACTOR
4. The gas enters the SO2 reactor
5. Contain one,2/3 catalyticcs beds-(depending on actual process
conditions & desired degree of conversion.
6. As reaction in reactor is exothrmal..the gas is cooled between beds
in order to optimize the so2/so3
7. After last conversion stage--- gas is cooled & SO3 will react with
water vapour & form gas phase sulphuric acid.
8. Process gas then goes to WSA Condenser-----final hydration &
condensation of acid takes place.

Wsa condenser
WSA Condenser
1)-----is a vertical shell &
tube type falling film
condenser/concentrator-----with tubes made of shock &
acid resistant boron silicate
glass.

3) Sulphuric
acid--------collected
in acid resistant brick
lined bottom part & is
cooled to 30-40 C..in
a water cooled plate
type heat exchanger
& then pumped to
storage.

2) Sulphuric acid------condenses in
the tubes & flows downwards while
being concentrated in
countercurrent contact with hot
process gas.

 Clean gas exits at the top of the WSA condenser at

approx.100 C and can be sent directly to stack.
Hot air generated in the WSA condenser may be used as
preheated combustion air to ensure optimal energy efficiency.

The main reactions in the WSA process

Combustion: H2S + 1.5 O2 = H2O + SO2 + 518 kJ/mole
Oxidation: SO2 + O2 = SO3 + 99 kJ/mole oxide catalyst)
Hydration: SO3 + H2O = H2SO4 + 101 kJ/mole
Condensation: H2SO4 = H2SO4 + 90 kJ/mole
The energy released by the above-mentioned reactions is used
for steam production. Approximately 23 ton high-pressure
steam per ton of acid produced.

APPLICATION ..(WSA process)

Spent acid from an Alkylation unit.
Claus process tail gas (combustible components and
sulfur compounds H2S, H2 and CO)
Boiler flue gases from various
processes SNOX flue gas desulfurization
Heavy residue or petcoke-fired utility
boiler off-gas

SOP
(SULPHUR OXIDATION PROCESS)

H2S
CS2
SULPHUR
H2SO4

The SOP is especially suited for

processing one or more Sulphur
containing streams such as:

H2S gas from e.g. amine gas

treating unit
Off-gas from sour water stripper
(SWS gas)
Off-gas from Rectisol
Spent acid from an Alkylation unit
Claus process tail gas

Heavy residue or petcoke-fired

utility boiler off-gas
Boiler flue gases from various
processes SNOX flue gas
desulphurization
Metallurgical process gas
Production of sulphuric acid

SOP

A wet
electrostatic
defogger

The main reactions in a SOP:

Combustion: H2S + 1.5 O2 = H2O + SO2 + Energy

Oxidation: SO2 + O2 = SO3 + Energy (in the presence of e.g. a vanadium (V) oxide catalyst)

Hydration: SO3 + H2O = H2SO4 (g) + Energy

Condensation: H2SO4 (g) = H2SO4 (l) + Energy

SNOX PROCESS
Process which removes sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and
particulates from flue gases.

Sulfur is recovered as concentrated sulfuric acid and the

nitrogen oxides are reduced to free nitrogen.
Based on catalytic reactions
and does not consume water or absorbents.
Neither does it produce any waste, except for the separated dust.
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas, sour water stripper gas and Claus tail
gas can be led to the SNOX plant, and thereby investment in
other waste gas handling facilities can be saved.

SNOX

1.

Flue gas from the boiler is

cleaned in an electrostatic
precipitator

2.

& heated by feed /effluent

heat exchange with the gas
leaving the SO2 converter in a
regenerative / recuperative
heat exchanger.

3.

NOX is reduced in the SCR

reactor (selective catalytic
reduction)

4.

Gas is then introduced to SO2

convertor

5.

The converted gas is cooled in

the feed /effluent heat
exchanger

6.

Final cooling and condensation

takes place in the WSA
condenser

7.

Cleaned gas is sent directly to

the stack

8.

Heated cooling air is returned

to the boiler ( to increase
efficiency)

SNOX

 SCR DENOX

High Nox of reduction efficiency (70-90%)

Catalyst : ammonia
Electrostatic precipitor

Filtration device that remove fine particles, like

dust and smoke

from flowing gas.

Flue gas blower

Used to vent exhaust from a combustion system.

 Dust removal
Catalytic reduction of NOx by adding NH3 to the gas
upstream of the SCR DeNOx reactor
Catalytic oxidation of SO2 to SO3 in the oxidation
reactor
Cooling of the gas to about 100 C whereby the
H2SO4 condenses and can be withdrawn as concentrated
sulfuric acid product

Recap.
The principal SNOX process steps are :
Dust removal in electrostatic precipitators or bag filters
at about 200C
Heating of the flue gas to about 400C in a feed/e ffluent
heat exchanger
Catalytic reduction of NOx by NH3
Catalytic oxidation of SO2 to SO3 in the subsequent SO2
converter
Cooling of the SO3 gas in the feed/effluent heat
exchanger
Further cooling of the gas to about 100C in the W SA
condenser, whereby the
sulphuric acid vapour condenses

SCRUBBING
Scrubbing removes particulates including sulfur dioxide
(SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by washing them from
the flue gas stream. NOx is a generic term for the mononitrogen oxides NO and NO2 (nitric oxide and nitrogen
dioxide). If released to the atmosphere, NOx reacts to
form smog and acid rain. Scrubbing is accomplished by
spraying an aqueous scrubbing liquid within the flue gas
in a vessel that is part of the stack system. This process
is much the same as flue gas scrubbers in other
applications such as flue gas desulfurization (FGD).

 amine scrubbing plants are operated at the slightly elevated

pressure already provided in the raw biogas and no further
compression is needed.
The loaded amine solution is heated up to about 160C
where most of the carbon dioxide is released and leaves the
regeneration column as a considerably pure offgas stream.
As a small part of the scrubbing liquid is lost to the
produced biomethane due to evaporation, it has to be
replenished frequently.
Hydrogen sulphide could also be absorbed from the raw
biogas by chemical absorption but higher temperatures
during regeneration would be needed.
That is why it is advisable to remove this component prior
to the amine scrubber.

GAS FLARE

1
2
3

4
6

5
7
8

10

11

 1)claus sulfur plant---WSASNOX

2)isomerization plant---Hydrocarbon gases..gas flare
scrubbing
3)hydrotreater---(H2S)---WSA..SOP..SNOX
4)catalytic reformer---gas flare n scrubbing
5)hrdrotreater---(H2S)---WSA..SOP..SNOX
6)hydrocrackergas flare n scrubbing
7)alkylation---WSA
8)FCC Feed Hydrotreater..gas flare n scrubbing
9)hydrotreater---(H2S)WSA..SOP..SNOX
10)delayed coker----WSA
11)sour water steam stripperSNOX

REFERENCES

http://
www.topsoe.com/sites/default/files/topsoe_wsa_process_
principles_0.pdf
http://
www.pp-industrie.at/zusaetzliche-information/sop-anlag
en.html